Can-cover sterilizer



June 23, 1925.

G. G.y THOMPSON CAN COVER STERILIZER Filed March 22, 1921 zi-f- Inventor: b, .Gearge/G. Thum/sah), ww @fw/@r a specification.

Patented .lune 23, 1925.

UNITEBASTATES PATENT` OFFICE'.

GEORGE G. THOMPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASVSIGNOR TO WISNER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or NEW Yon-K, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

'CAN-COVER STERILIZER.

.Application filed March 22 To of?? vri/'rom t 112mg/ concern.'

Be it known that i, @norcia G. THOMPSON, a citizen ofy the United States, residing in New York city, in the county of New -York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can- Cover Sterilizers, of which the following is My present invention relates to can ,cover sterilizers, for use more particularly for cleansing and sterilizing milk can covers, and one object is to provide a sterilizer of this kind which is efiicient, simple in cony ing steam envelopingthe outer surface porstruction and lcheap to manufacture.

In the present embodiment; of my invention, the can covers are supported on their edge in a' vertical position on an inclinedv bottoni of the sterinzer, and move automatically by gravity alongthis bottom-from one end of the sterilizer to the other, such movement preferably being a rolling move'- inent of the can covers duringwhich the surface of the inner portions of the covers, which it is particularly necessary to sterilize, are thoroughly, completely and continuously subjected to steamy impinged against said inner surface portions, the cloud of expandtions of the covers. l

In the accompanying drawings which show one embodiment of my invention and which form part of this specification', Figure l is a side elevation partlybroken away.

Figure 2 yis a 'plan view,

F ifrure 3 is a sectional view 'on the line 3 3, of Figure 1, on a larger scale than Figure l.

Figure l is a sectional view on the line H of Figure 1, on the saine scale as Figure 3. Y j

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, on the same scale as Figure 3.

Similar letters or numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My can cover sterilizer comprises a tank A, open at the top, and of suitable' metal or material, and support-ed at a desired height as by the legs B.

The tank A, which preferably is of the rectangular shape shown, is provided with a downwardly inclined ybottom 10,'having` 1921;` seriai No. 454,462.

overflow outlet 12 is arranged to prevent A rod 13 extends from one end of the tank tothe other, being supported inthe ends of,

the tank and arranged at the same incline, as the bottom 10, and'longitudinal.,stripsv 14 and 15 are provided at. the sides of thev tank and also arranged' at the same `incline as the bottom 10, kthe purpose of the rod 13 and strips Maud 15 being'to afford means for guiding the can covers in rolling movement. f r n yThe bottom 10 is provided with parallel gutters 16 and 17, extending longitluilinally forv substantially the length of the bottom, these gutters having tlie'same downward incline as the bottom 10 and preferably, for convenience, andcheapness of manufacture, being angle pieces resting upon the bottoni 10 at the apex of the angle and secured to the bottom 10 as by the braces or brackets 13.

. The steam pipe 19 extends longitudinally of thetank A, being supported in the ends. thereof and provided with suitable valve means, not shown, for introducing steam thereinto and shutting olf the steam therefrom. The Vsteam pipe 19 is arranged in the tank A at an incline corresponding-to the incline of the bottom A10 of the tank. T he steam pipe 19 is provided for its entire length with perforations 20, Figs. l and t3, preferably located above the horizontal diameter ofthe pipe, and so arranged'as tov cause jets of steam to be projected outwardlyC andy upwardly from the pipe and to impinge against the inner surface portions, as theV Stoppers and inner faces of the caps, of the can covers as they move along in the tank from one end to the other thereof, whereby the inner surface portions of the can covers are thoroughly and continuously subjected to the steam jets, the outer surface portions of the can covers are enveloped by the steam, the can covers preferably being supported in pairs in opposed relation open face to open face and inparallel vertical planes as shown in Fig. 3. n

In operation steamV is turned into the pipe 19. rlhe can covers are manually )laced in the tank at the shallower end thereof on opposite sides of the guide rod 13, preferably in pairs as shown in Fig. 3, the lower edges of the can covers resting in the gutters 16 sol ' the tank to interior surface portions, in the present instance the Stoppers, of the covers resting against the guide rod 13 and the respective strips 14 and 15. rlhe can covers are then allowed to roll by gravity along in the gutters 16 or 17 in a continuing series, being guided by the rod 13 and strips 14 and 15, and guided to an extent by the steam pipe 19, the inner surface portions being` subjected during this rollingmove nent to jets of steam from the perfor-ations 2O of the steam pipe, and the outer surface portions of the can covers enveloped by steam, the can covers being manually removed from the tank at the opposite end thereof in cleansed and sterilized condition.

1n View ot the foregoing it is tobe noted that my apparatus is shown as being provided With means tor maintaining Water vat a stated level Within the tank A, and is also -provided with means 11, as previously noted, for draining` the tank oi' such Water when so desired.

in one form of use o my device, thesterilizine of the can covers may be effected by causing the Water to become ot sufficient temperature through the introduction oi steam, as previously noted, whereby 'the cans will be sterilized by either one or both of the following' actions:

YFirst, the action or" the steam in'ipinging against the van covers thereby carrying Water thereto wherein through the use of said fluids every part of the interior of the cover is reached by a scouring action, .there by steriiizing' fully and comple'tely;'a.nd, second, by merely admitting' sufficient steam to the bath to keep it a suiiicient temperature to canse the desired sterilization. Mainly, the idea ot' my device is thatithrough the use o'll a tank, Without any special moving mechanism therein, can covers may be caused to pass therethrough by gravity and While in the act ot passing from one end ol' the other caused to be treated by a steriiizing' medium, preferably oi? hot Water and steam either combined or separate. It is also Within the scope of my invention lto cause these can Vcovers to roll through any other suitable form of sterilizing medium.

Having thus described myy invention, it should be understood that there may be modifications thereof and variations therein Without departing from the spirit oi the invention, .or exceeding the scope ot the appended claim.

lWhat I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

in a sterilizing device for milk can covers, the combination with a tanl having `a downwardly inclined base, of aplura'li-ty of angular guideivays extendingalong the lengt-h of the base and parallel to vone another, said guideivays being adapted 'for receiving a plural-ity of can covers simultaneously, a iluid pipe disposed bet-Ween and above 'said guideivays, said pipe 'being positioned parallel to the base 4and cent to the loWestpath of movement of the rims of the can covers, a plurality of openings along the vlength of said pipe, said openings being formed in the upper seg.

ments on each side of the pipe whereby to form a plurality of angularly and lupwardly distributed liquid sprays, a 'guide rod positioned above and parallel to said pipe, and co-oilierating with the guideways below and on each side thereof for maintaining the covers on their edges in a rvertical position and for preventing the :plurality ot cove-rs, one on leach side .of `the Huid pipe from 'being displaced inwardly and contacting with one another, and bracket means. on each side of zand adjacent the guide rod and cri-operating With said guide rod ior maintaining the can covers in vertical a'lin'ement throughout their passage along the Aguideways.

A GEORGE G. THOMPSON.

7ilVitnesses Guns. S. VILLIAMS, H, D. PENNEY. 

